


It is the Season of the Heart

by payneberry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1D Holidaze, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas, Fic Exchange, Gift Fic, Holidays, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 17:02:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/payneberry/pseuds/payneberry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The holiday season can get very hectic in the coffee shop where Louis works. Louis should be worrying about the end of term and what to get his mates for Christmas but he can't stop thinking about Liam, the boy with the broad shoulders and the birthmark who came in and order a hot chocolate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It is the Season of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays, [rumpledlinen](http://rumpledlinen.livejournal.com/)! I hope you enjoy! Written for the 2012 1D Holidaze exchange. Many many thanks to the dream team: [S](http://dulosis.tumblr.com/), [Bee](http://boybandhugs.tumblr.com/), [Kristin](http://teapotters.tumblr.com/), & [Cayla](http://berrytheplatypus.tumblr.com/), for listening to me whine about a lot of things, this fic included, and making sure it's decent enough for public eyes. xx

_For fuck’s sake, people really love their peppermint mochas_ , Louis thinks idly as he slips festive cardboard sleeves around two piping hot beverages and hands them to their owners with a smile. Ever since _Brewed Awakening_ launched their seasonal beverages they've had a line to the door all morning and afternoon. Louis doesn't quite mind though; the busier he is steaming milk and brewing espresso the quicker closing time comes.

Not that he’s got much to do after closing time, anyway, or that he terribly dislikes his job; it pays pretty well for the work he does and his boss, Paul, is always accommodating to cover a shift or two when Louis lets his essays and assignments back up. Plus he’s never lacking for caffeine, which comes in handy as a second year uni student who also works twenty hours a week.

There’s nothing wrong with the company either; be it his co-workers or regulars, he does enjoy being surrounded by friendly faces and making jokes over coffee grounds. Even if Niall is excruciatingly useless when it comes to making coffee and Paul only keeps him around because the girls and guys who come for a helping of the old Horan charm also order very large and very expensive drinks, he’s a piss.

Now though, they’re in a middle of the afternoon lull and Niall is out in the dining room wiping down sticky tables with a questionable looking rag which leaves the register and all the charming customers to Louis.

“Hi, welcome to _Brewed Awakening_!” he chirps in his perfect customer service voice when he hears the bells on the door tinkle. “What can I brew for you today?” he asks as the pair of lads step closer towards the counter.

“I’ll have a large soy white peppermint mocha latte. Extra hot. With whip. Please.” the one says, practiced. “Liam?”

Louis shoots a glance over to the boy called Liam, whose face is screwed up and confused as if their menu board is written in Sanskrit. Or maybe Elvish or some kind of extraterrestrial language, because Liam is gnawing fiercely on his bottom lip which is so full and pink that Louis has to shake his head to keep from staring or licking at his own lips.

Louis definitely could stand to stare at Liam’s neck as his nervous gulps bounce his Adam’s apple over what Louis notices is the cutest little birthmark he’s ever seen. He didn’t even know that birthmarks could be deemed cute but he’s not given much more time to ponder his strange thought because then Liam is running a hand over the small prickly hairs on his scalp and muttering, “Could I just get a hot chocolate then?” He adds a sheepish smile when he meets Louis’s eye and Louis has definitely been staring.

“Yeah, sure,” Louis says, a little breathless before he pulls himself together. “One hot cocoa and one soy white peppermint latte, extra hot, with whip. Can I have your names, please?” he asks as he pulls uncaps a marker and unsets two cups on the counter.

“‘S Liam,” Liam says hastily, shuffling his hands into his sweatpants pockets, like he’s nervous or embarrassed but Louis thinks it’s just about the cutest thing. “He’s Zayn. With a Y.”

“Okay Liam and Zayn with a Y,” he says drawing their names across the paper cups, dotting the ‘i’ in Liam’s name with a tiny ‘x’, hoping it’s a bit more subtle than a heart. “Will that be together or separate?” he asks, suddenly aware that he could be eying up this Zayn with a Y’s boyfriend.

“Separate,” Liam replies quickly but Zayn just shakes his head and hands Louis a very scratched and bent _Brewed Awakening_ gift card. Liam looks like he’s about to object but Zayn silences him with a stern look.

“I dragged you here. It’s the least I can do,” he says, giving Liam a wink.

“The total will be £6.20,” Louis says with a smile as he expertly swipes the card and hands it and the receipt back to Zayn, noticing that Liam has indeed eased up slightly.

Louis quickly busies himself making the drinks and tries to hide the weirdly twisted look on his face. He couldn’t imagine why Liam would get so weird over his boyfriend offering to pay for hot cocoa but then again the only thing he knows about him is that he’s adorably dumb when it comes to ordering hot beverages.

He finishes off both beverages with a generous topping of whipped cream, adding the smallest bit extra on Liam’s hot cocoa with an expertised flourish. He caps and slides those damn festive sleeves around the cups and places them over the counter, smiling when he sees the tiny ‘x’ poking over the cardboard.

“Liam. Zayn. One hot cocoa and one white peppermint mocha,” he calls, as if the shop is terribly busy and Liam and Zayn aren’t already waiting at the end of the bar.

“Thanks,” Liam says, as he plucks up the cup and takes a nervous sip. “Mmm, that’s good,” he says, with the sweetest tone of enthusiasm.

“Of course it is,” Louis replies. “I made it.” His heart catches in his throat as Liam gives him a nod and a smile.

“I’ll see you around,” Liam says as he turns to follow Zayn out of the shop.

Louis doesn’t know how true that is; he’s never seen Liam before and he can’t imagine why Liam would come back into a coffee shop unless his maybe boyfriend dragged him in again. Still, he can’t help but smile as he watches Liam grasps the beverage he’s made as he walks out the door and around the corner.

+++

Two days later, Louis’s roommate, Harry, is sat on the counter, throwing sugar packets at Niall as he tells Louis about his morning class.

“Honestly, I could write sonnets about the color of her top,” Harry drones on and Louis shakes his head and gives him a look.

“Well, lucky for you, it’s a poetry class, Haz. I’m sure Caroline would love to read a couplet all about the ‘sweet golden prison that holds nature’s bounty’ or whatever shit you come up with. You better credit me if you use that though. It’s quite good,” he says with a smile and turns to wipe down the espresso machine.

“Lou, you don’t understand,” Harry continues, ignoring Niall’s snickers and Louis’s eyeroll. “The way the florescent lights catch her nearly sheer top and highlights the curving swell of her bosom, it makes my heart and nether regions sing. And when she wears that pale pink blazer,” he pauses to sigh dramatically, “and the way it echoes against her tanned skin. I just want to caress her. And hold her. And make her feels happy and safe for—”

He’s interrupted when Niall hits him square between the eyes with a pink sugar packet and throws his hands up in victory.

Louis, who has been miming gagging into one of the freshly cleaned coffee cups, gives Niall a high five and a grateful look.

“Seriously, mate,” Niall says. “No one wants to hear your second rate stanzas. Pack it up.”

Harry crosses his arms and throws a sugar packet in Niall’s general direction but he misses by nearly a meter. “Alright, but it’s okay for Lou to go on and on about Cocoa Boy and his adorable birthmark and his maybe boyfriend,” he says, the smallest tone of hurt in his voice.

Louis turns to give Harry a look. He hasn’t been talking about Liam _that_ much. He maybe mentioned him once or twice to Harry but he’s supposed to be his best friend. Who else would he talk about those things with?

“Well, at least I’m not talking about the curve of his finely toned bum, sweetums,” he says to Harry who just sulks harder.

“Not yet,” Niall say under his breath before Louis gives him a sharp look. “Look, you’ve been going on and on about him here too. It’s only a matter of time before you start describing each inch of his body in grossly unnecessary detail. You do live with Hazza here,” he says with a nod in Harry’s direction.

“I just wanted to know if you knew him,” Louis says, half offended. “You know everyone.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Niall nods. “That’s why I got a very detailed description of the way his Adam’s apple bobs or why you can’t stop talking about how his hair would probably feel if you ran your hand over his head.”

Louis throws a wet rag at Niall and goes to the back to get some mocha syrup from the stockroom.

He has to laugh a little because when he comes back _of course_ Liam is standing at the counter, looking at Niall and Harry expectantly like one of them should be taking his order. The laughter dies in his throat when Liam spies him and smiles widely.

“Hi, Louis,” he says, still grinning, only the hint of a nervous twinkle in his eye.

“You know my name?” Louis asks, breathlessly and without thought, to which both Harry and Niall respond with muffled giggles. He only spares them smallest glance, not really wanting to take his eyes off Liam for too long. It’s cold outside and Liam’s nose and cheeks are deliciously pinked up. Louis just wants to warm him up with his palms.

“It’s on your nametag?” Liam says in a very small voice which really shouldn’t be as cute as it is.

It’s Louis’s turn for his cheeks to turn pink as he just looks down at the coffee cup shaped pin on his chest and says, “oh.” Liam laughs a little and Louis thinks it’s probably the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard and mentally kicks himself for thinking something so cliché.

“So what can I get for you, Liam, is it?” he asks and Harry has to cover his laughter with a loud, obnoxious cough because as if Louis doesn’t know his name is, in fact, Liam. Liam smiles though, and nods. “Another hot cocoa, then?” Louis asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Um,” Liam starts and stares up at the chalked menu board, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Now don’t tell me you didn’t like it,” Louis says, gaining some composure. “Everything I make is wonderful.”

“Yeah — no. It was great. I just — I don’t know anything about any of this stuff and I don’t want to be a twenty year old who only drinks hot chocolate.” He says it all in a rush but Louis hang onto every word and gives him a reassuring nod.

“Well, Liam,” he says, getting a small rush just from being able to say his name, “lucky for you, I am an expert and would be _delighted_ to educate you in all things java related.” Louis cracks a cheeky smile and Liam nods. “Alright then, my very own specialty, coming up.”

Liam looks absolutely delighted and Louis feels almost dizzy from it before realizing he doesn’t even have a fucking specialty. His heart sinks a bit and it’s just that Liam looks so damn earnest and Louis couldn’t dream of letting him down even though this might just be coffee.

Louis looks around seeking some kind of inspiration, his eyes flitting from syrup to syrup and up to the menu board. He settles on whipping up a caramel gingerbread latte adding a hint of vanilla syrup and prays for the best. It certainly smells good and Louis thinks he’d like it very much himself but he doesn’t know Liam at all. How the fuck is he supposed to know what he likes and why couldn’t he have just _asked_ instead of trying to play it smooth or whatever the fuck it was he was doing?

He puts on a brave face and smiles at Liam who is trying to hand over a tenner. “It’s on the house, mate,” Louis says, waving him off. “You could hate it.” He really _really_ hopes that isn’t the case.

Their fingers brush when Liam takes the cup from Louis’s outstretched hand and Louis has to hide the way a shiver shoots all the way up his arm and down his spine. Louis thinks he can maybe see something in the way that Liam’s hand pulls away from him a little too fast and his eyes linger on spot of his hand where Louis’s thumb had caught but then Liam is eyeing the cup in his hand carefully.

“If you hate it I’ll just make you another hot chocolate, yeah?” Louis offers, a low nervous hum gathering in the pit of his stomach.

He watches as Liam’s lips quirk into a small gratified smile as he’s bringing the cup to his pursed lips. Louis licks at his own bottom lip as Liam takes a very small and cautious sip. His stomach is in knots which he thinks is totally ridiculous — it’s just coffee for Christ’s sake — but then he spies Liam’s very pink lips spreading into a smile as he lowers the cup from his mouth.

“Wow, Lou, this is great,” Liam says, his smile reaching all the way to the corner of his eyes and Louis feels a bit winded at the use of a nickname.

“Yeah?” His grin is crooked and goofy but he can’t bring himself to care because Liam’s looking right at him, still smiling. Their eyes linger a little too long until Louis’s catches Liam’s blush before he looks down.

“Yeah,” Liam says and he’s a little breathless but Louis isn’t reading into it at all. “Thanks. I’m just gonna—” he motions towards the mostly empty seating area. “I’ve got an exam to revise for so I’m gonna,” he trails off as he looks in the direction of the chairs. “I’ll see you,” he says giving Louis one last look before walks away.

Louis gives a small wave as he watches Liam settle down at a table behind a pillar. He cranes his neck and tries to watch what Liam is doing — what books he’s unpacking, what he’s got on his laptop screen — but then he hears a loud clatter as the napkin container falls to the floor and Louis realises he’s halfway over the counter.

He straightens himself up and looks away from Liam as Liam looks back over towards the counter to see what the noise was. Louis busies himself cleaning up the fallen napkins and wiping down the espresso machine with a damp rag.

Just as Louis is about to tell Niall he’s going over to straighten up the dining room just so he can get another look at Liam’s shoulders in his t-shirt but then the evening rush of customers comes through the door and Harry’s jumping off the counter and waving goodbye, mumbling something about Caroline’s office hours. Louis doesn’t really know if Caroline keeps office hours after 6pm but he doesn’t have time to question it as a girl is waving her credit card in front of his face and demanding a cappuccino.

+++

The end of the night sneaks up on Louis; he doesn’t notices the sun set or the dining room empty until he hears Niall swear at the clock.

“Your mothers— Oi, Tommo, I gotta run,” he says, untying his apron, balling it up and throwing it at Louis. “Study group, ya know, gotta put this brain to work. You good to close up?” He doesn’t wait for an answer, just nicking a chocolate pastry and clocking out. He runs out the door, mumbling goodbyes and apologies through a full mouth, as he pulls up his jeans and shoves his Yankees snapback on his head.

Louis really doesn’t mind; closing down the store is easy and he does find it relaxing to stick his earbuds in and sing along to “Mr. Brightside” as he mops the floor. He’s midway through the second verse, singing into the handle as if it were a microphone, when he catches something out of the corner of his eye. He startles as he turns around and sees that Liam is still sitting at that table behind the pillar, smiling, and Louis wonders exactly how long Liam’s been watching him.

“Oh,” Louis says intelligibly. “We’re closed.”

Liam’s face falls a bit and then he looks completely wrecked in a matter of milliseconds. “Oh god, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean— I just lost track of time. Revising, you know?” he awkwardly points an anatomy textbook in Louis’s direction before shoving it into his backpack right after his laptop. “I’m really sorry,” he says again as he looks at Louis with the saddest puppy eyes Louis has ever seen.

“Liam, it’s fine,” he says, reaching out his hand to stop Liam from shoving his notes into the bag. “I mean,” he swallows, “you can stay if you like. You know, if you’ve got nowhere else to be. I’m not going to kick you out into the dark cold night, am I?”

“Yeah?” Liam asks, his eyes wide and hopeful.

“Yeah, ‘course,” Louis says with a grin on his face. “I’ve still got to clean out the pastry case and take out the rubbish, but you’re welcome to keep me company if that’s something you’re up for? I mean, if you think you can handle it?” He raises an eyebrow and gives Liam a wink. He watches Liam’s eyes crinkle as he smile in return and Louis feels some kind of weird fluttering in his chest. “You wanna?” he asks as he jerks his head back towards the counter and hopes that’s enough for Liam to pick up on his offer to come join him as he takes care of the things he has to take care of.

“Sure,” Liam agrees, his face spread into a ridiculous grin. “If it’s alright?”

“”Course it is, wouldn’t have invited you if it wasn’t, would I? That’d be awful rude of me,” Louis says as he hands Liam a pen and a highlighter from the table to shove into his bag.

“Yeah, I guess,” Liam laughs as he slings his bag up over his shoulder and follows Louis behind the register.

“You want something?” Louis asks, motioning to the almost empty pastry case — there’s still a few cakes and muffins left.

“No, it’s okay,” Liam says, holding up his hands.

“Have a biscuit,” Louis insists, wrapping up a pair of the chocolate ones. “Anything you don’t want is going into the bin.”

Liam’s eyes get huge. “Really?”

Louis laughs because, _god_ , Liam looks so fucking adorable, when he’s worried about all the starving children of the world or a few pieces of truly mediocre pound cake going to waste. His very pink and very full bottom lip pouts almost obscenely.

“Well, no,” Louis says, pulling out the rest of the pastries. “They’re supposed to, according to company policy or whatever, but usually I just take whatever’s left to Harry. But here, you should take these.” He hands the wrapped biscuits to Liam and lets his fingers linger on the inside of Liam’s wrist. Louis takes a deep breath. “Harry’s spoilt anyway.”

“Yeah, alright,” Liam says and his voice is a little breathless too and Louis just wants to kiss him, push him over the counter and snog him until his mouth is wet and red.

He doesn’t though. Louis doesn’t even know Liam. He doesn’t know if he’s got a boyfriend or a girlfriend or what his thing is with that bloke with the quiff and the dark eyes. Instead, Louis pulls his hand from where his thumb’s been running unconscious circles along the jut of bone on Liam’s wrist and clears his throat. “I gotta empty the bin, stay here, yeah? And then we can walk out together.”

Liam nods and Louis rushes to gather up the bags of rubbish. He’s struck by the force of the sharp winter air and it gives him the chance to clear his head a bit. How he feels about Liam, the boy with the big brown eyes that he’s more or less just met, is more than a little overwhelming. If he’s going to deal with this at all — in a calm, rational, totally un-Louislike way — he’s going to have to slow down and put a stop to how his mind is suddenly replaying the dream he had last night where Liam’s pink lips were wrapped so very nicely around his cock. It’s indecent.

With a deep and resigned sigh, Louis chucks the rubbish bag into the dumpster and hustles his way back inside, rubbing his cold, chapped hands together and blowing a burst of hot breath into them for some added warmth.

“You ready?” he calls to Liam from the back as he punches out and grabs his coat off the hook.

“I am,” Liam says, his backpack slung over his shoulder, his hood up, and his hands tucked into the pockets of his navy puffer coat. He looks so adorable that Louis has to bite the inside of his cheek from saying something he knows he’ll regret. Instead he just nods and leads the way outside, flicking out the lights and closing the door behind them, the wreath there banging gently against the glass pane.

“Okay, I’ll see you ‘round, yeah?” Louis says to Liam after he’s locked the door and double-checked the deadbolt. “You gonna continue your lessons in the brewed arts?” He turns directly towards Liam and tucks his own hands into his jacket’s fleece-lined pockets to keep from grabbing for Liam’s elbow or something equally stupid.

“Yeah, I just might,” Liam says, a smile playing across his face, his eyes bright with the glow from the fairy lights in the window. “You’re a pretty great teacher.”

Louis doesn’t know how to handle that so he decidedly doesn’t. “Have a good night, Liam,” he says and he turns to walk down the main street towards his flat.

It takes a few seconds but then Louis realises that Liam is following him. He stops to turn and give Liam a sort of _is there something else I can help you with?_ look but Liam looks a bit nervous and says, “My flat’s this way too. ‘M not trying to stalk you or anything?”

Louis can’t help but let out a chuckle as he waits for Liam to catch up a few paces so they can walk together in tandem. “I could be stalked by worse,” he says, resisting the urge to grab Liam’s hand which is no long in his jacket pocket and looks mighty cold.

They walk in silence for about half a block and Louis is struck by how it’s not really that awkward at all even though it probably should be. The thought sends him into a slight panic so he clears his throat.

“So, Leeyum. Tell me about yourself? What’s your story?” he asks in what he hopes is an even tone.

“Um, I study Kinesiology? I’m from Wolverhampton. I don’t care much for the color yellow. I like to sing? Is the kind of stuff you were hoping for? I’m not very interesting,” he says very quickly, blushing a bit.

“Nonsense,” Louis replies. “From the moment we met I’d been wondering ‘why doesn’t this fellow wear much yellow?’ and now I know, so thank you.” Liam laughs and Louis gets a surge of bravery (or maybe it’s stupidity). “What about your love life?” he asks. “How’s that bloke you came in with the other day? He’s very beautiful.”

“Zayn?” Liam almost screeches in a voice that’s maybe an octave too high before he laughs. “No, Zayn and I aren’t dating. Oh god no. We’re mates. Best mates. We were roommates last year until he moved in with his girlfriend at the start of this semester. But no, we’re definitely not dating.”

“Oh, well good,” Louis says before his brain can process it and winces when he realises what he’s said.

“It is,” Liam says anyway. “But this is me.” He stops and points down the road. “I’m a block over.”

“I’m still two this way,” Louis says, jerking his head to indicate the direction farther up the main street. “So, I guess this is good night.”

“I guess it is,” Liam says and runs his hand over the stubble on his head. “See you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Louis questions with a quirked eyebrow.

“Yeah, are you working tomorrow?”

“I am indeed,” Louis says, trying to keep his heart out of his throat.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Liam says with a nod. “Night, Lou.” He walks away, the streetlight casting his shadow long and leaner than himself.

“Good night, Liam,” Louis calls as he stands in place for a moment to appreciate how lovely and broad Liam’s shoulders before he tries to wipe the dopey grin off his face. Harry’s going to find out about this eventually and Louis would rather not be an open book the second he walks through the door.

+++

Louis does indeed see Liam the next day, and the day after that and the next few as well. Harry has taken to imitating Louis’s face when Liam walks through the _Brewed Awakening_ doors but Louis just throws a wad of receipt paper at him and says something crude about Caroline’s legs and Harry usually shuts up.

It’s nice. Liam is nice and Louis is really enjoying learning things about him like how he’s very fond of the caramel syrup in just about anything but he’s not big on peppermint but he’ll drink it anyway with a grimace.

Liam comes in about the same time every day — after his 4:30 anatomy lab, Louis finds out on the third day — and always stays until the last of the patrons leave with their textbooks and laptops and walks out with Louis when he looks the door.

It’s become a little routine and it’s been helping Louis get through the day if he’s honest with himself. He’s been forced to go to his afternoon classes now because exams are so soon and he’s got another pile of essays that are due next week that he’s been putting off and the stress of it all hasn’t been letting him sleep well. But Liam. Liam’s the one bright bit in his day and he’s not going to let Niall humming a wedding march as he leaves for the night bother him because he’s still got about a half hour left with Liam and he’s going to enjoy it.

If he’s honest with himself, it’s the walks from the coffee shop to Liam’s cross street that Louis looks forward to most, even if it’s a bit bittersweet. While the walk is five minutes at most and it’s still saying goodbye to Liam, it’s _their_ time, just the two of them. The second night, Liam tells Louis about all the classes he’s taking and how he only just narrowly missed the Olympic Athletics team. The fifth night, Louis is wiping his tears off his face with the sleeve of his coat as he’s telling Louis about his parents’ divorce before Liam pulls him into a tight embraces and rubs soothing strokes over his shoulder blades.

That’s when Louis gets the feeling that this isn’t just a crush and maybe he needs to do something. He decides while he’s editing his History of French Theatre essay to ask Liam out, but on Monday Liam doesn’t show up at all.

Louis doesn’t see him on Tuesday either, and that’s when he really starts to panic and think that whatever he thought was going on between him and Liam was all in his head and Liam is probably walking hand in mitten-clad hand with a very pretty girl and Louis is just a miserable idiot.

+++

When it’s Friday and Liam hasn’t been ‘round _Brewed Awakening_ , Louis actually starts dreading the worst.

“Maybe he’s died,” Louis laments to Harry who is seated in his usual spot behind the counter, picking at a croissant.

Harry’s hardly even paying attention to Louis anymore and somewhere deep deep in Louis can’t blame him because he knows he’s been a whiny twat about it but he reckons he’s listened to Harry prattle on about numerous birds over their years of friendship. Plus, Louis is _in love_ , he’s pretty sure of it.

“Are you talking about Liam again?” Niall says, tying on his apron and pushing a wisp of blonde hair up under his work cap.

“Does he talk about anything else?” Harry challenges.

Louis pulls a hurt face and then knocks the piece of croissant in Harry’s hands to the ground.

“Oi, there’s no need to waste perfectly good food, Tommo,” Niall exclaims as he rushes forward in hopes of saving the pastry. “Christ, there’s no use. This floor is filthy.” He sulks as he picks of the remnants and tosses it into the bin.

“You could mop, you know?” Louis says as he’s fixing up a cappuccino.

“Or you could not throw food on the ground.”

“That’s not the point, Nialler,” he says, handing the beverage over to its owner with a curt smile and a “have a nice day.”

“Right,” Niall says. “The point is you going on about Liam.”

“Louis thinks he’s died,” Harry offers with a cheeky grin.

“Nah, can’t’ve. Not unless he’s done it in the past four hours.” He’s met only with quizzical looks from Louis and Harry both. “I saw him on the quad outside the library earlier,” Niall clarifies. “And he was in here yesterday afternoon too.”

“He was here?” Louis interrupts, knocking over a container of soy milk. “Shit,” he says, but ignores the pooling at his feet. “What did he want? What did he order? Did he ask about me?”

“Yeah, he did. He asked if you were workin’ and I told him you’d been doing mornings and then he ordered a hot chocolate and left pretty quickly,” Niall says, throwing a rag down onto the puddle of milk at Louis feet.

“Hot chocolate again?” Louis whines dramatically. “I thought he’d graduated to at least a mocha.” He buries his face into his hands, his fingers rubbing hard circles at his temples.

“Don’t sweat it, mate,” Niall says, clapping Louis on the back. “I’m sure he just doesn’t trust anyone else to make him a cinnamon mocha caramel chocolate cream peppermint latte or whatever the fuck it is you make.”

Louis hears Harry chuckle behind him. “Don’t you work in a coffee shop, Nialler? You have to know that sounds _disgusting_.”

Niall shrugs in response. “Louis is better at making the drinks anyway.”

“You haven’t even tried since you first day, mate,” Louis says, pinging Niall in the back of the head with a stirrer.

“But you make them so nice, Tommo. Bit pointless for me to even try, yeah?” NIall says with an eye flutter and a cheesy grin.

“Yeah yeah, flattery will get you everywhere and you know it,” Louis replies, tugging Niall into the crook of his neck. Niall mumbles something but Louis ignores him to playfully stroke at the hairs peeking out of the back of Niall’s cap.

“I don’t think that’s very professional, Lou,” Harry says, a slow smile across his face.

“Yeah, probably not, Lou,” a voice calls from over the counter and Louis head snaps at the sort of familiar voice that he can’t immediately put a face to.

It’s Zayn, Liam’s only friend nothing more than that, standing there, arm around a tiny blonde girl.

“Oh,” Louis breathes, shoving Niall away gently in case Zayn gets the wrong idea and spreads that to Liam. “Hi, welcome to _Brewed Awakening_ ,” he continues in a composed professional voice. “What can I get for you two today?” He smiles and gives a friendly wink to the girl who smiles wide in return.

“Oh, just a coffee, love,” she pipes in a voice that’s just as sweet as her face. “Zayn?”

“Just a coffee too,” he says to Louis who takes a mental note of the stark difference between his order the last time and this time around and smirks knowingly in return.

“Two coffees it is. For Zayn and—”

“Perrie,” the girl supplies.

“Two coffees for Zayn and Perrie. Niall, you think you can handle that?” Louis calls over his shoulder and Niall grumbles a bit as he scoots away from Louis to pour the two cups.

Louis rings them up and takes the note from Zayn in an awkward kind of silence. He’s bouncing on the balls of his feet and biting at the inside of his cheek, trying not to blurt out a million questions about Liam like how is he? and is he avoiding Louis? and how would he feel about an winter wedding?

“Liam says hi,” Perrie says with an even smile and Louis is a little bit worried that she’s capable of reading his mind.

He feels like he’s going to empty the leftover pizza he’s had for breakfast onto the counter so he takes a deep breath before responding. “Oh?”

“Yeah, he’s been talking about you loads.” Perrie giggles.

“It’s quite annoying, really,” Zayn says, running his hand idly down Perrie’s shoulder. “He’s locked himself in the library this week and I’ve hardly even seen him and when I do he can’t stop chatting about how great the mochas you make are even though I’ve been trying to get him to try one for months now.”

Louis blinks and responds stupidly, “the library?”

“Yeah, it’s exams, or hadn’t you noticed?” Zayn says, grinning, as he looks around at the dozens of people crowding the café tables with books and laptops.

“Oh, yeah, ‘course,” Louis says as Niall passes the couple their coffees and the turn to leave.

“He’s on the third floor,” Perrie calls out over her shoulder as they’re leaving. “Near the biological anthropology books. You know it.” She turns back and wraps her arm around Zayn’s arm as they walk through the door.

Louis has never been to the library before so he has no idea where on earth the anthropology books are but he thinks now might be a great time to find out.

+++

Louis bids adieu to Harry and Niall a half hour before his shift is scheduled to end. He’s physically vibrating with energy and he keeps checking the clock waiting for it to read half past six. After the fourth time Louis overflows the milk, Niall more or less throws his coat and bookbag at him and shoves him out the door.

“If you’re gonna do it in the stacks please stay away from the poetry section,” he can hear Harry snicker behind him.

It takes Louis a few second before he even remembers where the library _is_ and he’s got to struggle to find his student ID to swipe himself into the study area but then he spots Liam by his broad hunched shoulders and smiles to himself as he walks over to the study table.

“Hey,” Louis says, creeping up behind Liam and tugging an earbud out of his ear.

Liam jumps and squawks a bit before he looks up and notices it’s Louis who has interrupted whatever terrible thing he’s studying.

“Hi.” He actually beams up at Louis which causes Louis to falter for just a moment before he’s rounding the table thrusting one of the two red coffee cups towards Liam.

“Got your favorite. Caramel latte, extra caramel,” Louis as he sits across from Liam, tossing his bag onto the table. “You can’t very well hope to revise properly only on hot chocolate. You’re gonna need your caffeine. I added an extra shot of espresso and it looks like you could use it,” he adds noticing the slightly purple circles that ring Liam’s eyes.

“Yeah, thanks,” Liam says, taking an grateful sip of still very hot coffee. “My exam is tomorrow and I’m not prepared _at all_. He sighs and takes a deeper gulp from the cup in his hands.”

“Ah, anatomy still?” Louis asks. “Are you finding it quite ‘humerus’?”

Liam smiles and eyes Louis suspiciously. “Did you look that up?”

“Liam Payne, how very dare you!” Louis exclaims a little to loud for a study room during finals week. “You know all of my puns are ‘bone-ified’ genius.”

Liam is still smiling at him and only raises his eyebrows.

“Yeah, fine, I looked up a few things. I was just curious as to what you were studying. And believe you me,” Louis says dramatically, “I could’ve been a lot worse. Jokes about studying each others anatomy. Don’t think that’s not in the cards, Liam.”

“Oh,” Liam says and Louis thinks he might be blushing which makes his insides swirls together a bit. “So what are you doing here, if it’s not to check out my anatomy?”

Louis almost chokes as he’s sipping from his own coffee, not having expected Liam to counter with that _at all_. Liam smirks and raises an eyebrow, clearly pleased with himself.

“Drama essay,” Louis rasps, his throat a little raw. “D’ya mind if I sit with you for a bit? I’m not interrupting or anything, right? And if I’m an annoying twat you’re more than welcome to kick my arse out.”

“I’d love you to sit for a bit, Lou,” Liam says with a genuine smile. “But I really do have to revise. I’m so shit at this stuff.”

“I won’t be a bother,” Louis says, miming zipping his lips and tossing away the key.

Liam nods and assures Louis with a smile before he’s returning to his textbook and sighing. Louis watches him for a few moments, how he’s sucking on his bottom lip as he reads over the text and diagrams, making notes with an orange highlighter.

“So,” Louis says, before he sucks on his teeth, realizing he’s already being the bother he promised he wouldn’t be. But Liam’s looking up at him with actual fucking twinkles in his eyes and an interested smile so Louis continues on. “So, Niall tells me you’ve been getting hot cocoa all these days that you’ve been by the shop. Tell me, Liam Payne, did I not educate you well enough?”

Liam laughs lightly, a little embarrassed. “I just didn’t want to get it wrong,” he defends. “And what if I only like the coffee _you_ make?”

Louis can’t believe he actually blushes at that and makes to kick at Liam’s shin underneath the table to play it off.

“Hey,” Liam whines when Louis’s toe makes contact with Liam’s kneecap but he smiles playfully and Louis can’t help but swallow down the fluttery feeling and smile in return.

“Well, I hope you like the very _very_ sweet coffee I made for you,” Louis says nodding at the cup still in Liam’s hand.

“I do,” Liam says matter-of-factly and takes a large gulp for show. “Now, didn’t you say something about an essay?”

“Cheeky.” Louis smiles but pulls out his Dell and a notebook.

Louis really does have a load of work to do on his essay and, as much as he’d love to tease Liam until the wee hours of the morning, he really doesn’t want to fail. He can hear Liam turn up what sounds an awful like like Ella Fitzgerald on his ipod before Liam shoves the earbuds back into his ears and Louis turns up the _Requiem for a Dream_ score on his own.

He’s actually a pretty great writer, if Louis does say so himself, and this is drama, something he’s _good_ at, so he finds a flow fairly easily. Louis rewards himself, at the start of ever new page, with a glance across the table at Liam and he smiles to himself at Liam’s solemn face and the small collection of wrinkles that form between his eyebrows when he’s very obviously reading over something he doesn’t quite understand. It’s fucking adorable and Louis take another second to appreciate it before he’s delving back into comparing the themes of _Cat on a Hot Tin Roof_ with the works of Sondheim.

Hours pass and Liam’s textbooks fills up with orange smudges as Louis writes and rewrites paragraph after paragraph until they’re both sprawled out around the table, trying to get comfortable. Liam’s unreasonably long legs stretch out to rest on the chair next to Louis and Louis only hesitates for half a second before he stretches his own legs out over Liam’s thighs.

It’s comfortable and easy and Louis thinks maybe he should think about what that means or maybe how Liam feels about it but then he can hear Liam’s stomach rumble from all the way across the table and the thought vanishes as he smiles.

“We should get some snacks, yeah?” he says to Liam, as his stretches his arms out and over his head.

“Yeah, alright,” Liam says through a yawn. His eyes are tired but he’s smiling and it tugs somewhere deep inside Louis’s chest.

They wander through the halls in the library, taking probably too long to find any kind of vending machine. Louis blames Liam; he’s the one who’s been here all week.

They find one eventually and Louis teases Liam for his choice in crisps and Liam shakes his head disapprovingly at the quantity of chocolate Louis gets. In the end, they wind up sharing it all.

+++

It’s nearing midnight when Louis types up his conclusion and doesn’t even give it a once over before he sends it off to Harry for proofreading. He thinks maybe it’d be a good idea to go back to his flat and possibly get more than four hours of sleep but then he looks up from his laptop screen and Liam’s there with his shoulders and his pink lip clenched between his teeth. That thought leaves his mind rather quickly.

Louis spends the next hour or so playing Bloons on his laptop until he can hear Liam sighing quite loudly over the sound in his headphones. When Louis looks over Liam looks like he might actually cry.

Pulling out an earbud, he pinches at Liam’s knee under the table and asks, “you alright?”

Liam sighs dramatically and screws his eyes shut. “Yeah, fine,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean, no... I don’t know. It’s like I know it, but I don’t _know_ if I know it.” He sighs again. “I don’t want to bother you, sorry. You’ve got your own work to worry about. I’ll be fine,” Liam says like he’s going to be anything but fine.

“Oh,” Louis says, a shy smile creeping across his face. “I actually finished my essay like an hour ago.”

Liam looks confused for a second, like he’s wondering what Louis is still doing here and Louis is half hoping he’ll ask so he can confess just how much he likes being around Liam and maybe that he wants to do it more often. And maybe do it naked. But then Liam’s wincing a little as he asks, “do you think you could quiz me? If you don’t mind.”

“Yeah, of course,” Louis says with a bit too much enthusiasm for the prospect of anatomy trivia at midnight and scoots around the table so he’s sitting next to Liam. He props his ankles in Liam’s lap and grabs for his textbook flipping to find one of the practices quizzes at the end of a chapter.

“Alright,” Louis says, kicking off his shoes and digging his toes into Liam’s thighs. “What is the longest bone in the human body?” he prompts Liam.

“The femur,” Liam answers confidently.

“Are you sure?” Louis gives Liam a cheeky grin and a wink. “I can think of something that might be bigger.”

“Louis, please, this is _serious_ ,” he pleads but he’s blushing and giggling and stroking the inside of Louis’s knee.

Louis huffs a sigh and says, “fine. Correct. Ten points to Gryffindor. Or the house of your choice. I’m not really sure if you’re Gryffindor material if I’m honest.”

Liam makes an offended sound, his mouth agape. “Just what are you trying to say, Louis?”

Shrugging, Louis only says, “I think you’re probably more of a Hufflepuff. Don’t get offended. Hufflepuffs are great. Fair and loyal. That sounds like you.”

“Oh, thanks?”

“‘Course. Now do you want me to quiz you or would you like to continue this Hogwarts debate? It’s your exam tomorrow, _Leeyum_ ,” Louis says, leaning forward to suck a bite on the exposed crook of Liam’s neck. He wishes he could justify it but he has no excuse beyond the fact that it’s _Liam’s neck_ and it’s right there.

Luckily Liam only looks dazed for a few seconds, running his hand over the wet spot Louis’s left and pinches high on Louis thigh.

“Alright, quizmaster, continue, please.”

They sit together for hours, Louis quizzing Liam for facts and Liam screwing up his face to answer. The genuine look of enthusiasm on Liam’s face every time Louis nods his head signaling Liam’s correct makes Louis want to kiss it off him. Instead, he settles for smacking a soft slap across Liam’s strong bicep each time he takes too long to reply.

They’re there for so long that neither of them realise how they’ve become the only two left in their section of the study room.

It’s right after 3am when Liam rests his head on the table and Louis settles his own on the crook of Liam’s elbow, his legs still draped across Liam’s lap.

“Just need to close m’eyes for a few seconds,” Liam mumbles and then Louis can hear his soft even breaths as he too closes his eyes.

It must be hours later, when Louis is woken up by the brightness coming through the windows.

“Holy shit, it’s snowed,” he says, craning his stiff neck to peer out over the ledge.

“Shit, I’m late,” Louis hears Liam call out from behind him and then a clatter of noise as Liam’s sweeping up his books and paper into his arms and shoving them into his bag. “I can’t believe we fell asleep. I can’t believe _I_ fell asleep. Thanks so much, Lou. For everything. I hope you have a Merry Christmas,” he’s saying as he’s slinging his bag over his shoulder, not bothering to put on his coat, before he bolts out of the study room.

It’s only then that Louis realises that he probably won’t get to see Liam until next semester which is _next year_ and for some fucking ridiculous reason he still does not have Liam’s phone number.

+++

It’s a dreary few days after that. Louis goes to work, finishes the last of his essays and takes his one exam (the perks of being an Lit major, he reasons), and comes home. He knows he’s being an unreasonable mopey twat but he can’t quite seem to bring himself out of it. Still, he doesn’t really blame Harry much at all for going home a day early, right after he’s finished his oral presentation and thrown a small party for Louis’s birthday.

It can hardly be considered a party, though, more of a get together, considering it’s only Harry and Niall wearing paper crowns on the sofa in the living room drinking lagers and watching reruns of _EastEnders_. At least Harry baked a cake. It’s halfway decent.

He’s has had a few drinks himself and he’s feeling as miserable as ever so that’s probably why Louis shrugs and says, “okay,” when Niall asks if he can cover his Christmas Eve shift so he can fly home the day before. Niall thanks him with a hug and kisses him on the cheek and promises he’ll get him Liam’s number if it’s the last thing he does.

Louis is too depressed to respond with anything beyond a tight smile and a, “sure thing, mate.”

That’s how Louis winds up brewing espresso for eight hours on his fucking birthday. He can use the money, he tells himself, since he’s all but broke having spent most of his savings on Christmas gifts for his mum and sisters.

With only a few people left on campus, the day drags on. Louis has restocked the syrups and coffee and cleaned the counters three times. By 4pm he’s served seven people and let one elderly woman use the loo.

He’s texting Harry miserable things when he hears the bells on the door’s wreath. Louis looks up to see that it’s Liam shaking snow off of his adorable knit cap with the bid red bauble. He hadn’t even realised it was snowing until now but he could thank all the gods for the way the cold air has pinked up Liam’s cheeks.

When Liam looks up and sees Louis on the other side of the counter he fucking beams as he pulls his hat off and tucks it into his coat pocket.

“A hot chocolate, Mr. Payne?” Louis teases, reaching for the espresso anyway.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Liam waves him off. “Whatever’s easier.” He won’t stop grinning and it would make Louis a little nervous if it wasn’t so endearing. “Hi. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” Louis says automatically.

“Yeah?” Liam gives him a questioning look.

“Well, no not exactly. It’s a bit shit having to work your birthday which is also Christmas Eve.”

“It’s your birthday? Happy birthday, mate! Yeah that is a bit shit. Sorry I haven’t gotten you anything,” Liam says with a genuinely pained expression on his face like he’s just been incredibly rude.”

Louis laughs as he pumps mocha syrup into a cup. “It’s fine, Li. You’re here now. That’s a pretty great birthday present, if you ask me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Louis says, slightly breathless. Looking at Liam apparently has that effect on him. “What are you still doing here anyway?” he asks.

“Oh, my mum and dad have got the flu and mum won’t let me come home so I’ve been stranded at my flat for the past few days. Hopefully they’ll be better by New Year’s,” Liam says with an exasperated sigh. “It’s rubbish. What about you? How’d you get stuck working Christmas Eve-slash-your birthday?”

“I needed the money.” Louis shrugs. “I’m driving down to Doncaster early tomorrow to see my mum and sisters though. You should come,” he says, not realising the ramifications of his words until it’s too late.

Liam is wide-eyed. “Spend Christmas with you and your family?”

“No — I mean, yeah? If you’d like? You don’t have to, ‘course.” Louis feels like he’s been kicked in the throat and wishes that he could just evaporate.

“No, I do. Want to. I just. If I’m honest I was actually hoping you’d be working today because I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yeah, ‘kay. Anything, Liam.”

Liam is clearly nervous now, shuffling at his feet and fidgeting with the zipper on his coat. “I was hoping you’d go on a date with me?” he rushes.

“A date?” Louis repeats.

“Yeah? Is that too forward? I’m not very good at this kind of stuff,” Liam continues, as if Louis didn’t just ask Liam to spend Christmas Day with his fucking family.

“Liam Payne, I would bloody love to go on a date with you. Can we go right now?” Louis feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest and he can’t say he minds it at all especially when Liam is smiling again.

“Aren’t you working right now?” Liam questions.

“Yeah. It’s fine though. We can do it right here. Right where we met for the first time,” Louis says enthusiastically, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I’ll eat the table if we get another customer in here today. We close in an hour, anyway.”

“Okay,” Liam says like he’s not completely sure but he’s willing to try anything Louis suggests.

“Okay,” Louis echoes, grinning. “Go pick a table.”

“But, my hot chocolate,” Liam protests holding up a bank note.

“You really think I’m going to make you pay for hot chocolate. On our first date. At the coffee shop where I work?” Louis asks, shaking his head solemnly. “Seems you don’t know me at all. Good thing we’ve got all night.”

“I thought you said the shop closes in an hour.”

“Yes. I did,” Louis says pointedly with a suggestive wink.

“Oh,” Liam says after a second. “Oh!” He’s blushing a bit and biting at his bottom lip. “Yeah, alright. I’ll grab a table then.”

Louis joins him soon after, carrying over two caramel hot chocolates and a slice of chocolate cake with extra whipped cream for them to share. When he passes a cup to Liam and their fingers slide across each others, Louis doesn’t even pull back because they’re on a date and he can _do_ that now.

As promised, not a soul enters the coffee shop and they get lost in a heated debate about which adaptation of _A Christmas Carol_ is superior (Louis quite likes The Muppets and won’t acknowledge Liam’s opposing and, what Louis deems, controversial opinion). Liam tells Louis he’s gotten a B on his Anatomy exam with so much enthusiasm it makes Louis’s chest swell as if it’s his own mark.

Louis doesn’t even notice he’s been tracing small circles with his thumb on the back of Liam’s hand or that his left foot is tucked neatly under Liam’s knee. It grows darker outside and it’s not until a gust of wind rattles at the window panes that Louis realises he should’ve closed up twenty five minutes ago.

“We should go,” Louis says, cleaning up the rubbish from the table. “I’ve been here for quite a long time and my bed seems awfully nice and cozy right now.”

“Okay, I hope you have a good night, then,” Liam says, pulling his coat on.

Louis shakes his head and laughs to himself. “Liam, would you like to come back to my flat with me?” he asks, hoping Liam will pick up on _something_.

“I thought you said you were going to bed.”

“Oh, Christ’s sake,” Louis says, moving forward to capture Liam’s mouth with his own.

Liam’s coat drops to the floor and he grasps at Louis’s waist, pulling him closer, his tongue dancing across Louis’s lips, taking control. A moan escapes for Louis when Liam presses their tongues together and he thigh moves between Louis’s legs.

“All I want for Christmas is you,” Liam breathes, pulling away.

Louis laughs and pinches at Liam’s nipple just shy of too hard and kisses him again, softly. “I think that can be arranged.”

After Louis locks up and kisses Liam hard against the door once more for good measure, they stumble back to Louis’s empty flat through the snow, clasping each others mitten-clad hands.

+++

When Louis wakes up on Christmas morning to a half-naked Liam tucked next to him in bed, he thinks he probably won’t need to ask Santa for another damn thing as long as he lives. 

**Author's Note:**

> Louis and I agree that _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ is the best ever. That's where the title come from.


End file.
